In all honesty I'm not sure what pound test line we use. We have always used the same stuff my dad started using years ago. It looks like small braided rope, not at all like normal fishing line. I'm guessing it is 100+ lb test line and we usea similar line if not the same line for the backup jug. One thing some people do with the backup jug is spraypaint it a flouresent color so it is easy to follow. As for the weight of the bow, If I remember our recurves ar around 45-50lbs pull you don't need a lot of pull because you are only shooting a few feet away from you. It is also nice when you shoot a shark or a ray alot of times the bow goes flying off into the water when you quickly reach for the rod, because it is wood it will float and you can go back and get it and it won't get ruined in the saltwater. One thing I do suggest is that as soon as you get back from a day shooting, that you rinse off and scrub all of your equipment especially the rod and real and anything esle metal so it doesn't start to rust because of being exposed to the salt air. Any more questions please feel free to ask.